Treating anxiety in patients with coronary heart disease: a randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Background: Anxiety is frequent in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) and influences the course of the disease, but no randomized controlled trial has investigated the effects of a psychotherapy intervention in CHD patients with elevated anxiety scores. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a 6-month psychotherapy intervention on anxiety in this group of patients.

Methods: Fifty-two patients (61 ± 8.0 years, 14 female) with CHD and elevated levels of anxiety completed the study after randomization into a 6-month psychotherapy intervention or a control condition. Medically eligible patients were screened for anxiety with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and were included if they had a score of 8 or higher. Anxiety scores were reevaluated at 6-month follow-up (after the treatment).

Results: At 6-month follow-up significant reductions (intervention group: -2.0 ± 2.3; control group: -1.8 ± 2.8; p < 0.01) were found in both groups in the HADS anxiety scale but no significant differences between the groups were observed. Adjustment for baseline differences and disease severity did not change these results.

Conclusions: Our study showed that elevated anxiety scores were reduced over time but there was no statistically significant effect of the psychotherapy intervention in anxious patients with CHD. Changes in the design of the intervention and study might be useful to further investigate this topic in the future.